Manuel Lanzini Set for New Contract as West Ham Look to Keep Liverpool at a Distance

Argentinian midfielder Manuel Lanzini is set to receive an improved contract at West Ham, with the London-based club looking to keep their player out of Liverpool's clutches, per Express.

The 24-year-old proved a revelation last season, shining in the wake of Dimitri Payet's departure, and has also become a target for several Premier League clubs.

Lanzini is now regarded as the face and future of West Ham, and Slaven Bilic is thought to be desperate to keep him around. The attacker joined the club on loan two seasons ago, but they made his deal permanent last season and are hoping that he stays for several more years.

After the blow dealt by Payet, it would be difficult to bounce back from losing Lanzini as well, despite the club bringing in strikers Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic.

DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/GettyImages

Liverpool, meanwhile, are bracing themselves for the loss of Philippe Coutinho, who could be on the move to Barcelona. The La Liga side recently lost a key attacker in Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain, and are scouring the market for a replacement.

Coutinho is thought to be the top target, but Borussia Dortmund's Ousmane Dembele is also an interesting option.

Given Barca's keenness as it relates to Coutinho has led to the Reds looking into the potential signing of Lanzini.

And as a result, the London side are looking to tie their player down, and could announce a fresh contract as early as this week.  The Argentinian will earn 80k-a-week from the new deal, according to the report.